Specialists In Car Dash Cameras Video Recorders and
Professional Global GPS Real Time Tracking Devices
Amacam Blog
AUGUST 2016
Are Dashcams legal in the USA?
There are some questions about the legality of Dashcams in the USA and, therefore, they have been slow to take off. Although they are not deemed a necessity here as they might be in somewhere like Russia or Asia where fraud and insurance scams are more prevalent, they are a useful tool for drivers where they are caught up in an accident and Dashcam evidence provides a 3rd party, unbiased witness. In some countries in Europe insurance companies are beginning to offer discounts to drivers with Dashcams as it takes the guess work out of deciding a claim. And Americans are starting to see the benefits but what about the legal issues.
Most importantly, recording video of a public place is legal under the 1st Amendment, however, there have been instances where police officers attempt to stop citizens from video recording police encounters and this may affect the public perception regarding the legality of Dashcams.
Just remember, you are within your rights to record video on a public road, as long as you do not cause an obstruction, for example, by stopping in the middle of the road to record an arrest.
There are two other main issues when it comes to the legality of Dashcams in the USA, first in some States you must have all party consent to record audio and this is an issue as most Dashcams have audio recorders built in. However, Amacam Dashcams can all be muted and therefore, not record any audio in your vehicle, meaning you do not need to remember to ask each individual who gets into your car to sign a waiver. The Dashcam will simply record the visual image which is legal on a national level.
Secondly, many States have strict laws regarding obscuring your field of vision. Suction cup mounts have been outlawed or tight restrictions placed on the position of any equipment on your windscreen and very meticulous officers may write a ticket if they feel your view has been impacted negatively.
Very importantly, Amacam Dashcams are miniature and can fit neatly behind the rear view mirror and, therefore, do not cause an obstruction to the driver’s view. *
A summary of the States where the law may prohibit or have restrictions is the end of this article. It is not definitive as the law is open to interpretation which has caused much of the confusion about the place of Dashcams and the law.
In summary, you can record video anywhere in public on your Dashcam, you can record audio in some States but with an Amacam you don’t have to, you can just mute it and Amacam Dashcams are small enough not to obstruct your view as you can easily position them behind your rear view mirror, so the police shouldn’t have an issue with them, but please check.
*Amacam accept no responsibility if you break the law, please check your State law carefully and remember that the law differs as you cross State lines.
|
STATE |
Sunction Mount Illegal |
Restrictions on mounts |
All party consent on audio recordings |
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Alabama |
Yes |
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Alaska |
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Arizona |
|
Yes |
|
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Arkansas |
Yes |
|
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California |
|
Yes |
Yes |
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Colorado |
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Connecticut |
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
Delaware |
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
District of Columbia |
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Florida |
|
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Yes |
|
Georgia |
Yes |
|
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Hawaii |
|
Yes |
Yes |
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Idaho |
Yes |
|
|
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Illinois |
|
|
Yes |
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Indiana |
|
Yes |
|
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Iowa |
Yes |
|
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Kansas |
Yes |
|
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Kentucky |
Yes |
|
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Louisiana |
Yes |
|
Yes |
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Maine |
|
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Maryland |
|
Yes |
Yes |
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Massachusetts |
|
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Yes |
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Michigan |
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Minnesota |
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Mississippi |
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Missouri |
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Montana |
Yes |
|
Yes |
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Nebraska |
Yes |
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Nevada |
|
Yes |
Yes |
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New Hampshire |
|
|
Yes |
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New Jersey |
Yes |
|
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New Mexico |
Yes |
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New York |
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North Carolina |
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North Dakota |
Yes |
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Ohio |
|
Yes |
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Oklahoma |
Yes |
|
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Oregon |
Yes |
|
Yes |
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Pennsylvania |
Yes |
|
Yes |
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Rhode Island |
Yes |
|
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South Carolina |
Yes |
|
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South Dakota |
Yes |
|
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Tennessee |
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Texas |
Yes |
|
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Utah |
|
Yes |
|
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Vermont |
Yes |
|
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Virginia |
Yes |
|
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Washington |
Yes |
|
Yes |
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West Virginia |
Yes |
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Wisconsin |
Yes |
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Wyoming |
Yes |
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